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@teiten ,gisten "ig-strut @fitte HnNNt-tu CONWAY, Or DAYTON., OHIO.

Letters Patent No. 74,669, dated February 18, 1868.

IMPROVED AlIOSPII'At-BED.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERNE- u p Be it known that I, HANNAH CONWAY, of Dayton, Montgomery county, Ohio, havc invented a new and ,improved Hospital-Bed; and I hereby declare that thefoll'owing isla fullfand exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in the combination of a fixed canvas frame, B, and a bed, E, operated by the axle G' underneathframe B,' and.'the movable pillow with the 'axlerGQ ,and the ,permanent frame under the bed E.

"' lo enable others skilled in art to make and use my invention, -Igwill proceed to describe vits construction and operation. ,Y Y, K f Y l I take any common bedstend with high posts, (seeNo.'v1,)ian`d Ilitt thetwo head-posts, tworrollers, Gr G. On the 'end of each one of them I attach, at I I','a ratchet-wheel, IIfand cranksV II H'. I attachalso to the rollers, straps F F'. The straps to the lower rollerure made to passunderthe movable bed on rollersL L L L, Figure 3, and are attachedafirmly to the bar atthefoot of the bed. This bar is as high as it is ever intended to raise the bed,.and the",s"` apsLIfliE'arevlonggenoughtopermitf-thc bed to belowerejd,`5so that a bed-pan, D, may pass easily under theY patient,'andremai`n'onthe lbe'd or mattressfwithout disturbing the patient. .When it is desired to lower the bedntorool-the` patient,` or Ato'air orimakeu'pl-the bed,for .permitth patient 'to go to stool, the crank II is turned forward slightly, the ratchet I is raised, and the weight of the bed 4carries it down as far as the straps F F will permit'it to go, leaving the patieutundisturbed'onthecanvas B B. I make a strong frame, of the length and breadthA ofthe bed,and attach it firmly to the four bed-posts, and lit toit a canvas suihciently strong to hold the patentwithout the support ot' thenmattress or bed,llwhieh is` to be below it. In this canvas I make a round or elliptical hole, ofany convenientisize `or diameter, say from ten to twelve inches in diameter, and have it neatly hemmedi, This canvas, with the circular'or elliptical hole, is used to enable the patient to comply -with the calls ofnatre without Vbeing moved or at disturbed; and it is done in this wise,r'viz, the

patient being weak, or if motion of'Y `thetbody;or limbs is forbiddem'aud Ythere is a call of nature, the bed or mattress is lowered out` of the way by meansi'of the ratchet-wheel and crank II I J, andthe patient is left undisturbed on the canvas, andthe bed-pan is slippedrin betweenhim and the bed or mattress without touching the patient. When he is relieved, the pan is readily removed without disturbing the patient, and the bed is raised up by turning the crank H.v AThis canvasmay be coveredwith a smooth, soft sheet, with like circular hole to fit the canvas', and theholepin the canvas may be shutup from beneath by a wide strip of muslin passing under the hole and over the sides of the frame, to which the canvas is attached andV buttoned or hooked. I also attach to this canvas a pillow, e, fastened'at one end to the canvas at @Figure Il I leave the other end mova` ble, and under it I'pass two or more straps F' F', lwhich are attached to the upper roller Gr', and to the side of the pillow nearest the foot of the bed, bymeans of'which the pillo'lvvY may be raised or lowered at will by. the ratchet-wheel and crank H'I'J', whereby the patients head may be raised or lowered without disturbing him. I also make a strong bed-covering, (see Figure'No. 4,)'whichis acomplete cover to the bed, except a place-for the head of the patient. I make two Astrong Vstraps;tofthis bed-covemt'o be buckled around the bed-posts at the hea-d of the bed, and two at the foot, N NN' N', also' three or more straps, N" N" N", to pass from one side of the bed-cover around under the bed, and be biijekledjto like straps on the other side Q, which may be used to hold patients who are-unruly orighty in bed.l v

I use the several parts of this bed asfollows The patient, if unruly, is held in bed by the cover, (see Figure No. 4.) ,If the patient is hot and feverish-audit is desired to have the bed aired or made up, he may lie perfectly still on the canvas B B, and the bed E E` lowered out of the way by the ratchet-wheel and crank H I J; and the patient may lie unmoved, with the cool air passing freely around him. So, if the patient `would go to stool, the bed is let down in like manner, and the bed-pan D is placed on the bed under him, or removed at will, without requiring the patient to move or be moved. v

Figure l is a' perspective view of the bed complete, without the cover,'sl1owing it as it appears when the bed is lowered to permit the patient to go to stool.

Figure 2 is the end view of the head of the bed, showing the position of the rollers GG', the 'ratchet J, ratchet-wheel I, and the crank Hand H' I' J', and the straps F F Il" F'.

Figure 3 is a. hot'tol view ofthe frame on which the movable, bed is laid, showing the position of the straps as they pass under the rollers L L L L. t

Figure`4 is the canvas cover by which an unruly patient is kept n bed. I declare that the above-described invention is intende to aid the nurse in taking care 'of the sick, and to relieve the sufferings and promote the comfort of the sick and the Well.

C'laz'm.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, s

Thecombination ofthe xed canvas frame B and bed E, operated by the axle G underneath frame B, and the movable pillow C with the axle G', and the permanent frame under the bed E, all as herein set forth.

HANNAH CONWAY.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM C. HOWARD, J oHN HOWARD. 

